Fat Mike claims he’s the reason Underoath Left Warped Tour 2006
Last year, NOFX bandleader “Fat” Mike Burkett recalled the 2006 Warped Tour and an apparent difference in beliefs between himself and fellow Underoath tour mates that affected the trek. The punk singer and founder of Fat Wreck Chords claimed he deliberately inflated that divide, kicking the then-Christian metal band off the tour.
It’s no secret that Underoath left that year’s Warped Tour a little more than halfway through. Fifteen shows were left behind on the traveling American music festival when they last performed on the Jack in the Box stage on July 27, 2006 in Pittsburgh. NOFX performed on the Teddy Bear Stage.
But Fat Mike’s account publicly adds an admission.
During an August 2021 episode of One life, one chancethe NOFX figurehead told H2O host and lead vocalist Toby Morse that he focused on criticizing Underoath from the stage after learning that an Underoath member was apparently against it homosexual marriage.
He explains, “When Underoath was on the Warped Tour, and I found out that the guitarist — I asked him, ‘I heard you don’t like gay people?’ He’s like, ‘No, no, I don’t think they should be allowed to get married.’ Heh-heh, yeah, that’s what I really heard.”
Fat Mike continues of the anonymous musician, “I’m not comfortable with you being on the Warped Tour with me. So I’m going to say shit about your band every day. And they ended up leaving the Warped Tour. I don’t want anyone to be actually homophobic on my tour.”
However, the NOFX singer’s explanation at the time was different. That summer, he said in a statement, “As much as I love controversy, there’s really nothing to report about it. Underoath has left the Warped Tour, and even though people want to give credit, the truth is they just needed a break apparently some people have suggested they quit because I made fun of them too much (I kinda did). with that theory is that I’ve been laughed at by a lot of the bands on this tour. … I feel like I’m an equal opportunist when it comes to making people laugh.”
Underoath said at the time: “We are deeply frustrated and sorry for any inconvenience this has caused. We felt it was necessary to take some immediate time off to focus on our friendship as this is more important than risking it for the sake of filming at this time.”
Seemingly happy with the outcome now, Fat Mike threw his disdain for former President Trump on One life, one chance. “That’s what’s cool about punk rock,” says the bassist-singer. “We have a belief system, even if it’s weird now [because of] people like Trump. And everyone is afraid now to say anything bad.”
He adds, “If you like Trump, you’re a liar, and you like lies, and you’re comfortable lying to your family and friends. And you’re like, Finally, a president who gives me the right to lie because he lies constantly.“
Listen to Fat Mike discuss Underoath around 11:00 p.m. below.